This vacancy is for a GS-0905-14, Attorney Adviser (Admiralty) located in the Department of Homeland Security, United States Coast Guard, Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing CG-MMC in Washington, DC.
Duties
You will serve as an Attorney Adviser (Admiralty) and support the Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credentialing Program over a wide spectrum of intricate legal matters pertaining to Merchant Mariner Credentialing, the manning of U.S. vessels, seafarer protection and relief, and the U.S. contribution to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) particularly related to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Being a Coast Guard civilian makes you a valuable member of the Coast Guard team. Typical work assignments include: Serving as a point of contact between the Merchant Mariner Credentialing program and other legal offices such as general law, claims and litigation, and information law. Conducting legal research of facts, laws, regulations, and legal precedents relating to the Merchant Mariner Credentialing Program. Reviewing draft final agency actions, regulations, and supporting documents for legal sufficiency. Providing authoritative legal counsel on complex agency actions, regulations, international agreements, and policy matters to ensure legal sufficiency. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Reasonable Accommodation Information
Salary
Qualifications
Basic Requirements: This position has a positive Education Requirement in addition to at least one year of Specialized Experience in order to be found minimally qualified. Transcripts must be submitted with your application package. You MUST meet the following requirements: Basic Requirement for all grade levels: 1. You must be a graduate with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent from an accredited ABA institution; AND 2. You must have an active bar membership in one of the 50 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico or the US. Virgin Islands. (Note: proof of bar membership will be required at the time of application submission.) AND Specialized Experience: To qualify at the GS-14 grade level, applicants must have at least one (1) full year of professional legal experience or additional relevant experience equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level in the federal sector. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: Interpreting laws, regulations, and precedents to provide authoritative guidance supporting high-level policy and compliance decisions; Analyzing state and federal administrative laws related to mariner credentialing and vessel manning to deliver expert legal advice; Conducting complex legal research and providing legal advice, opinions, recommendations and memoranda; and Coordinating with internal and external stakeholders on legal matters. NOTE: All experience statements (i.e., duties, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire) copied from this announcement and pasted into your resume will not be considered as a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The minimum qualifications for hiring at each grade level (or equivalent) are as follows:
Education
This position does have a positive education requirement. All Candidates must possess a J.D. or LL.B degree from an accredited law school; AND, must be a member in good standing of the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable) from an accredited institution. Once selected & prior to appointment, applicants must provide an official college transcript. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the U.S. (see FOREIGN EDUCATION below). College Transcripts: If this position requires specific educational course work to qualify, or you are qualifying based in whole or part on education, you are required to provide all unofficial transcripts (undergraduate, graduate, etc.) by the closing date of this announcement or you will be disqualified from further consideration. Transcripts should be legible and detailed, showing course number and department (i.e., bio 101, math 210, etc.), course title, number of credit hours, and grade earned. If course content cannot be easily identified from the title of the course as listed on your transcript, you must submit an official course description from the college/university that reflects the content at the time the course was taken. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. To receive this credit, you must submit evidence of equivalency as provided by a credentialling evaluation service. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
Required Documents
Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. In order to receive full consideration, you must submit: 1. A resume or any other written format of your choice which clearly identifies the following information: Job Information-Announcement number, title and grade. Personal Information- Full name, mailing address (with zip code), email address if available, day and evening phone numbers (with area code), country of citizenship, veterans' preference, highest Federal civilian series and grade held, if applicable. Education- College or University name, city and state, major(s)and type and year of any degrees received. Work Experience- job title, duties and accomplishments, current and former (within the last 10 years) employers' names and addresses, current and former supervisors' names and phone numbers where available, starting and ending dates (month and year), hours per week, salary, and indicate whether your current supervisor may be contacted. Qualifications- job-related training courses (title and year), skills, certificates and licenses, honors, awards, and special accomplishments. 2. A copy of your J.D. or LL.B. transcript. 3. A legal writing sample, not to exceed 10 pages. 4. You will be required to submit proof of current membership, in good standing, with the appropriate licensing authority of any state, territory of the United States, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or District of Columbia bar. 5. Information related to the skills and experience listed under the Evaluations section above, may be done on a separate document, or incorporate it within your resume. You may find general application information and other forms at the website of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, www.usajobs.opm.gov. None of the application documents will be returned. Are you a current or former federal employee? Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current grade; your highest grade held; your current promotion potential and proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement. Examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, within-grade increases and accessions. Political Appointees: OPM must authorize employment offers for former or current Political Appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Sched A, Sched C or Non-Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information. Submit proof of your former or current status, such as your SF-50. Please see here. CTAP & ICTAP applicants MUST submit documentation verifying your eligibility. This includes a copy of your agency notice, a copy of your most recent performance rating, most recent SF-50-Notification of Personnel Action noting your current position, grade level and duty location, & documentation from your agency showing your current promotion potential. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. Any other supporting documentation required for verification as described in the announcement. All documentation as outlined above must be received by the closing date of the announcement. NOTE: Failure to provide required documents could result in elimination of consideration.
How to Apply
Only resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Font size should not be smaller than 10pts & margins no smaller than .5 inches. Applicants with resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. To begin your online application, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account and follow the prompts or log in to your existing account. Your application packet must include a completed assessment questionnaire, a resume, and any applicable and or required supporting documentation. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional information. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English. We encourage you to apply online. Applications and supporting documentation will not be accepted by mail or email. The address below is for inquiries only. You may apply more than once, but the most recent application is the only one that will be used. You must submit your resume, your online questionnaire, and any supporting documents by 11:59 PM eastern standard time on 10/12/2026. It is your responsibility to verify that any information entered or uploaded is received and is accurate. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application. Determining your eligibility and qualifications is dependent on the supporting documentation and information provided, which may impact your referral for further consideration. If a document is not legible, you will not be able to view it in your application. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Benefits
DHS offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care insurance; retirement plan; Thrift Savings Plan [similar to a 401(k)]; Flexible Spending Account; Employee Assistance Program; personal leave days; and paid federal holidays. Other benefits may include flexible work schedules; tuition reimbursement; transportation subsidies; uniform allowance; health and wellness programs; and fitness centers. DHS is committed to employee development and offers a variety of employee training and developmental opportunities. For more information, go to the DHS Careers website and select "Benefits." Disabled veteran leave will be available to any federal employee hired on or after November 5, 2016, who is a veteran with a service- connected disability rating of 30 percent or more. Recruitment incentives may be authorized.
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